Free Economic Zone of New Vegas
The Free Economic Zone of New Vegas is a faction led by Robert House in New Vegas. Although it is formally founded if House establishes sovereignty over the Mojave, in practice, it exists in a practical capacity throughout Mr House's rule in New Vegas. History The foundation of the Free Economic Zone was laid in 2274, when after detecting NCR advance parties at Hoover Dam, House emerged from hiding and began restoring the city in order to meet the Republic as a host and a bargaining partner. He extended an offer of employment to the tribes inhabiting the city: in return for his considerable resources and access to medical facilities, food, water, clothing, and other high value goods, they would work for him, restoring the city, running its services, and defending it, if need be. Most tribes turned down the offer, but three (the future Chairmen, Omertas, and White Glove Society) did. With House's aid, these three tribes drove the others out of the Strip and into the surrounding areas. The future Kings claimed what became Freeside, establishing a semblance of social order there. The Great Khans were particularly hard-hit, forced to settle at Bitter Springs and abandon all claim to the northern Mojave. When the New California Republic's military arrived, it found a considerable presence in the city of Vegas and Hoover Dam. The combined forces of Securitrons and tribals resulted in them bargaining with House, rather than conquering the city outright. The resulting New Vegas Treaty normalized relations between the Republic and the FEZ, securing an influx of money and tourists to the city, NCR protection, but without formal annexation. House was aware that the NCR only negotiated to avoid a protracted war for New Vegas, which would leave them vulnerable to the Caesar's Legion. He knew that President Aaron Kimball would gladly trade the blood of hundreds of Republican troops for Hoover Dam. As such, he began working towards securing the FEZ's independence. The Republic was harnessed as an income source for the FEZ, allowing House to steadily expand his influence and power base. The ultimate goal was to allow the NCR to bleed while fighting the Legion in the Second Battle of Hoover Dam, while setting up conditions that would ensure that House would be the sole party dictating terms once the dust cleared. With New Vegas' newly obtained independence, House used the city as a catalyst for the restoration of civilization. It would be one of the most vital trading partners of the Republic, drawing income from exports of water and energy to the Republic, as well as tourists and traders flowing into the city. Meanwhile, House would use that wealth to rebuild the New Vegas area, creating thousands of jobs in construction and manufacturing. By 2285, The H&H Tool Factory was restarted to produce power tools as well as general tools, which jump started reconstruction in places such as New Vegas Steel, Cerulean Robotics, Samson Rock Crushing Plant, The New Vegas Strip, Freeside, Westside and a large majority of the farming settlements around New Vegas itself. In 2292, New Vegas resembled itself almost three centuries prior before The Great War, with newly fabricated streets, houses, factories, bars, as well as restaurants. Organization The FEZ is an autocracy, with all power (legislative, executive, and largely judicial) centralized in the hands of the Chief Executive, Robert House. House states that he has no interest in abusing power, controlling the private affairs of people living in the FEZ, or installing himself as a machine god messiah, with his judgement and utmost rationality being a guarantee of fairness as autocrat of the FEZ-NV. In practice, House adheres strictly to the letter of all contracts he signs and expects others to do the same. Violation of contractual obligations earns his scorn, at best, and violent retaliation, at worst. The latter is usually reserved for particularly severe violations, for example, if the White Glove Society returned to its noxious habit of eating people. Examples of his adherence include limiting the jurisdiction of Securitrons to the Strip, with casinos being off-limits except under extraordinary circumstances and withholding the original tribal name of the White Gloves, even in a situation where no adverse effect could be produced. A direct result of House's disinterest in legislating people's behavior is the absence of any checks and balances on himself or anyone else. Although he would have the FEZ become an independent, dynamic, high-technology enterprise zone, he would not intervene in the affairs of the people as long as his basic rules were followed. The New Vegas libertopia would be a place where the strong prey on the weak, ruling without limits as long as their strength lasts, and the weak are continuously trampled, lulled by the dream of becoming strong themselves one day. Military FEZ-NV relied primarily on its robotic Securitron force as a deterrent during the first years of New Vegas' creation. Under the Treaty of New Vegas, the burden of securing the Mojave rests squarely on the shoulders of the NCR Army, with Securitron jurisdiction limited to policing the Strip alongside NCR military police. However, with House's victory after the Battle, a private military company was formed at Camp McCarran with various mercenaries, former Enclave soldiers, former NCR soldiers, former raiders and anyone willing to join their ranks. Securitron Mk-II robots also became an enforcer of law and security throughout the Mojave in the months following the Second Battle, in the absence of Republican military units. Nellis Air Force base has been reconstructed and refurbished to resemble it's pre-war glory and acts as the base of operations for the New Vegas PMC's air force, housing two B-29's and a couple of the aircraft from Camp McCarran after they were hauled via Securitrons. Foreign Relations The FEZ is a major partner for the New California Republic, which is New Vegas' largest and most powerful customer. The fact that the NCR aimed to annex the Mojave and New Vegas as the sixth state of the union proves the FEZ's influence, but was problematic for relations between the two. Regardless of what the NCR wanted, Mr. House planned to make all NCR military personnel withdraw from the immediate New Vegas area and to charge exuberant fees to the NCR on power and water from Hoover Dam once the Second Battle conflict was over. The Boomers maintain a good relationship with New Vegas, as Nellis Air Force Base is used as a base of operations by the PMC's Air Force division. With House's revitalization of the surrounding area with dozens of construction projects, Nellis was also hit by over a dozen projects as well. The hangars, ATC building, runway, barracks and roads were all refurbished or reconstructed to resemble itself only three centuries prior. Technology The FEZ is one of the most technologically advanced states in post-War America, with access to an army of Securitrons(which were upgraded by the Courier on the orders of Robert House), Pre-War stockpiles of technology and resources, the Lucky 38's reactor, which allows for self-sufficiency energy-wise, and, on a more personal level, incredibly advanced life-prolongation techniques. With the revitalization of New Vegas, factories are pumping out steel, tools, construction equipment and resources, like they did before The Great War, which allowed for New Vegas to practically be rebuilt entirely, minus the major outlying areas of the New Vegas area, such as Henderson, Boulder City, Goodsprings, Primm, Novac and Nipton.